This invention relates to a telephone communication system for providing automatic call distribution (ACD) for calls incoming to the system.
Typically, ACD systems are designed for heavy usage where attendants, working at consoles, answer calls incoming to the system from a number of sources. In such systems the attendants are arranged into splits with each split performing a specialized work function.
One characteristic of ACD systems is the primarily incoming nature of the ACD calls which are placed in a queue to be answered by a next available attendant. Thus, to conserve time and to free the attendant's hands, a headset is used. Under such operation, a special audible tone is applied to the headset and the call is completed to the desired attendant automatically at the application of the audible (zip) tone without action being necessary by the attendant. This operation differs from the conventional answering mode where ringing signals are applied, on a periodic repetitive basis, until the attendant takes some action, usually by removing the handset from the switchhook. In these situations, only after the handset has been lifted is the call completed through to the attendant.
In some situations it is desired to have the attendants free to move from one station to another and to answer calls from any station; these calls may be ACD calls or regular incoming-outgoing calls. This type of system is particularly convenient in situations where attendants may be called upon to perform a number of other chores, such as the operation of a cash register or waiting on customers.
In such situations it is often inconvenient to require the attendant to walk around wearing a headset. Thus, it is desirable to have a telephone system in which calls may be completed to a station either in the headset mode or in the handset mode depending upon the status of the station at the time of call assignment.
Problems exist, however since for headset operation only one application of tone is applied, with a volume only loud enough to be heard directly in the ear of the attendant, while for handset operation higher power or a different ringing structure is required on a recurring basis. Thus, while it is not a simple matter to have the attendant plug a headset into a jack to convert from headset to handset operation, it is desirable to arrange a system to operate in that fashion.
A further problem exists when it is considered that it is highly uneconomical to require modifications to existing telephone station sets and to wiring plans in order to accommodate the desired result. Thus, it is not practical to send signals, other than existing signals, back and forth between the station set and the central processor in order to determine the status of the telephone set.